Rule 8.3 - BHP BILLITON PLC

FORM 8.3

    DEALINGS BY PERSONS WITH INTERESTS IN SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
              (Rule 8.3 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers)


1.   KEY INFORMATION

Name of person dealing        BARCLAYS PLC
(Note 1)
Company dealt in              BHP BILLITON PLC
Class of relevant security    USD0.50
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               16 May 2008

2.   INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE

(a)  Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of relevant
security dealt in (Note 3)

                            Long                     Short

                      Number       (%)         Number       (%)

(1) Relevant      106,852,683      4.84%     3,023,664     0.14%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,777,408       0.22%     3,455,549     0.16%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450       0.05%       752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            112,632,541       5.10%     7,231,988     0.33%


(b)  Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
     than the class dealt in (Note 3)

Class of                    Long                     Short
relevant
security:

                  Number              (%)   Number              (%)

(1) Relevant
securities

(2) Derivatives
(other than
options)

(3) Options and
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total


  (c)  Rights to subscribe (Note 3)

Class of relevant security:   Details



3.   DEALINGS (Note 4)

  (a)  Purchases and sales

Purchase/sale Number of Securities Price per unit
                                   (GBP)
Purchase      59,203               21.7401
Purchase      17,277               21.8633
Purchase      88,787               21.7642
Purchase      472                  21.8020
Purchase      1,000                21.3132
Purchase      15,444               21.5941
Purchase      17,749               21.7884
Purchase      350                  21.9788
Purchase      20,000               21.5691
Purchase      2,870                21.8633
Purchase      804                  21.4041
Purchase      315                  Transfer
Purchase      4,700                21.7882
Purchase      190                  Transfer
Purchase      170                  Transfer
Purchase      2,145                21.5800
Purchase      9,370                21.8526
Purchase      1,528                21.8145
Purchase      78,621               21.8592
Purchase      4,664                21.5841
Purchase      59,012               21.8633
Purchase      90                   Transfer
Purchase      44,729               21.8633
Purchase      3,728                21.8018
Purchase      6,020                21.8633
Purchase      2,484                21.8633
Purchase      2,800                21.9900
Purchase      1,450                21.8633
Purchase      1,919                21.8633
Purchase      1,725                21.8633
Purchase      1,910                21.8633
Purchase      897                  21.8633
Sale          99,510               21.8956
Sale          1,800                21.6503
Sale          213                  21.9917
Sale          62,140               21.7606
Sale          58                   Transfer
Sale          66                   Transfer
Sale          579                  21.8417
Sale          90                   Transfer
Sale          125                  20.6135
Sale          3,206                21.7667
Sale          464                  21.8417
Sale          186,639              21.9900
Sale          190                  Transfer
Sale          75                   Transfer
Sale          209                  21.9917
Sale          315                  Transfer
Sale          130                  21.7815
Sale          26,684               21.9228
Sale          2,145                21.5800
Sale          269                  21.5800
Sale          350                  21.5512
Sale          175                  21.4515
Sale          325                  21.6815
Sale          150                  22.0030
Sale          200                  21.6415
Sale          150                  21.9812
Sale          10,740               21.5800
Sale          126,897              21.7185
Sale          350                  21.9816
Sale          41                   21.9017
Sale          500                  21.5612
Sale          100                  21.9530
Sale          10,000               21.9335
Sale          232                  Transfer
Sale          780                  Transfer
Sale          4,078                21.8460
Sale          216,331              21.8610
Sale          181,152              21.8768
Sale          170                  Transfer
Sale          153,680              21.8484
Sale          200                  21.5612

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          1800          21.6503
CFD            Long          126897        21.7184
CFD            Long          62140         21.7606
CFD            Long          3206          21.7667
CFD            Long          4078          21.846
CFD            Long          153680        21.8484
CFD            Long          216331        21.861
CFD            Long          181152        21.8768
CFD            Long          99510         21.8956
CFD            Long          10000         21.9334
CFD            Short         1000          21.3132
CFD            Short         804           21.404
CFD            Short         20000         21.569
CFD            Short         4664          21.584
CFD            Short         15444         21.5941
CFD            Short         59203         21.74
CFD            Short         88787         21.7641
CFD            Short         17749         21.7883
CFD            Short         1528          21.8145
CFD            Short         9370          21.8526
CFD            Short         78621         21.8592
CFD            Short         1269          21.8675

(c)  Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i)  Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Product name,   Writing,          Number of          Exercise  Type, e.g.      Expiry   Option money
e.g. call       selling,          securities to      price     American,       date     paid/received
option          purchasing,       which the option             European etc.            per unit (GBP)
                varying etc.      relates (GBP)


(ii) Exercising

Product name, e.g.  Number of           Exercise price per
call option         securities          unit (Note 5)




(d)  Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)


Nature of transaction Details           Price per unit
(Note 8)                                (if applicable)
                                        (Note 5)




4.   OTHER INFORMATION
None

Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives


Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the
person disclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of
any relevant securities under any option referred to on this form or
relating to the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any
relevant securities to which any derivative referred to on this form is
referenced.  If none, this should be stated.




Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         19 May 2008
Contact name                               Geoff Smith
Telephone number                           020 7116 2913
If a connected EFM, name of
offeree/offeror with which connected
If a connected EFM, state nature of
connection (Note 10)


Notes

The Notes on Form 8.3 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk

SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8

DETAILS OF OPEN POSITIONS
(This form should be attached to Form 8.1, Form 8.1(b)(ii) or Form 8.3, as appropriate)

OPEN POSITIONS (Note 1)
Product name,     Written or  Number of securities   Exercise price   Type, e.g.     Expiry date
e.g. call option  purchased   to which the option    (Note 2)         American,
                              or derivative relates                   European etc.
Option            Purchased   500,000                9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   500                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   500                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   -500                    950.0000        EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                    950.0000        EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,775                  1,600.0000      EURO           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   -250,000                16.0000         AMER           19/09/2008
Option            Purchased   -500,000                9.5000          EURO           19/12/2008

Notes

1. Where there are open option positions or open derivative positions (except for CFDs), full details should be given.
Full details of any  existing agreements to purchase or to sell  should also be given on this form.

2. For all prices and other monetary amounts, the currency must be stated.

For details of the Code's dealing disclosure requirements, see Rule 8 and its Notes which can be viewed on the Takeover
Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk